Recently we looked at songs inspired by Asian boxers, in what turned out to be a surprisingly well liked article. Whilst doing the research for that we also discovered that a number of Asian fighters have actually proven their talents with a microphone in their hand and gone on to sing themselves.For this list we're not including the likes of Yuki Kurei, who was a musician as part of Kimaguren before turning to boxing, but instead focusing on those who were boxers first.

Note - The nationality along with the song title and fighter refers to the language of the song, not the nationality of the fighter.

On Som (Samart Payakaroon) - ThaiThai boxing legend Samart Payakaroon was a hugely notable name in both professional boxing and in Muay Thai. He also took part in a number of out of the ring activities, including a role in the hilarious Thai movie "The Bodyguard".

Among his out of the ring activities was a singing career which saw him release 3 albums. One of those included the wonderfully catchy "On Som".

Love Song (Daiki Kameda) - JapaneseJapan's Daiki Kameda was perhaps the least talented of the 3 Kameda brothers in the ring but was actually a pretty talented singer.

During the early part of his career as a fighter he regularly did Karaoke after winning bouts, including this rendition of "Love Song".

Strangely he hasn't officially released an album, which we think is a little bit disappointing to be honest.

Fist (Yoko Gushiken) - JapaneseJapanese fighting legend Yoko Gushiken still holds the record for the most defenses of a world title by a Japanese fighter, a record set almost 40 years ago. In 1979, whilst still a world champion, he released "Fist".Although Yoko recorded this he is actually more associated with the track "Conquistador" by Maynard Ferguson, which was used for many of his ring walks and those of protege Daigo Higa.

Kob Kun Krub (Khaosai Galaxy) - ThaiSamart wasn't the only legendary Thai to turn to music, with Khaosai Galaxy also giving his vocal chords a work out, with a number of tracks, most notably "Kob Kun Krub", which translates as "Thank You".

The video is hardcore on the cheesiness but is well worth a watch and it's clear that it wasn't taken too seriously

Sometimes When We Touch (Manny Pacquiao) - EnglishThis list wouldn't be complete if we missed out on Manny Pacquiao's infamous "Sometimes When We Touch", one of the most famous songs by a boxer ever.

The Filipino boxing icon had gained a reputation for a singer and, unfortunately, it lead to this relatively awful track. Although few can doubt Pacquiao's passion few will suggest this was any sort of a classic.

It's also worth noting that former Japanese Middleweight champion Sansosuke Sasaki also released a single, featuring 2 totally separate tracks and an instrumental cover version of both of them

Sadly we've not been able to track them down, though the main track is a love from what we under-stand. Sasaki recorded this after losing the Japanese title, but his career would continue afterwards, potentially due to the low interest his musical career had.

We at Asian boxing are always looking to do something a little bit different and bring attention to things that are perhaps not the most well known. With that in mind we though we'd put together a small list of songs about Asian boxers. We know this is a long way from a complete list, but we do think it's a pretty varied list.

Fighting Man (Shunsuke Kiyokiba) - JapaneseJapanese singer Shunsuke Kiyokiba has been a close friend to Hozumi Hasegawa, for whom this song was recorded. Hasegawa is featured in the video for the song and later went on to use it as a his walk on song.

Hasegawa is featured in the official video for the song, though sadly the main video that's freely available is only a short version of the song, at around 90 seconds,

Ellyas Pical (MujaRakat) - IndonesianWe don't know a great deal about MujaRakat but out understanding is that they an Indonesian Hip Hop band, at least that's what we gather from their track about Indonesian great Ellyas Pical.

Pical was the first Indonesian world champion and this track is very much about him, referencing him by name, and nickname, the "Exocet". His success really helped Indonesian boxing, and it's great to see him getting recognition like this.

Duk Koo Kim (Sun Kil Moon) - EnglishAmerican singer Mark Kozelek, aka Sun Kil Moon, released "Ghosts of the Great Highway" in 2003 with several songs named after boxers. Among those were "Duk Koo Kim" and "Pancho Villa", named after the Korean fighter who sadly passed away after face Ray Mancini and the Filipino Flyweight great.

The Duk Koo Kim track is a long one, at over 14 minutes, with each minute equating to a round of his bout with Mancini.

Champion (LeeSSang) - KoreanLeeSSang's 5th album contained the track, "Champion" which was a track dedicated to former Korean world champion Yo Sam Choi, who passed away in early 2008 following a bout with Heri Amol.

Prior to Choi's death the duo that make up LeeSSang, Kang Hee Gun and Gil Seong Joon, were close to the fighter and clearly missed their friend prior to recording this track.

Champion (Alice) - JapaneseJapanese folk band-come-rock band Alice were formed in the 1970's and one of their biggest hit's was "Champion", released in late 1978. The track was a big success for the band and was one of their first major success.

The song was inspired by American-Japanese fighter Cassius Naito, as revealed by Alice's lead singer Shinji Tanimura. Naito was active as a fighter in the 1970's and is the father of Rikki Naito.

As we into the middle of December we need to remember there's a lot to look forward in the back end of the month. Here we take a look at the final week or so of the month.

If you missed part 1 that's available here - What's to come in December...Part 1 and part 2 is here - What's to come in December...Part 2​December 23rd-All Japan Rookie of the Year Finals - Tokyo, JapanProfessional boxing's biggest annual tournament comes to a close on December 23rd in Tokyo, as we see the latest All Japan Rookie of the Year champions being crowned. The tournament might not make much of a mark internationally but it puts the winners on the fast track to domestic success and with the whole card being shown live on G+ it goes us a brilliant pre-Christmas being treat.

December 24th-Keita Kurihara (12-5, 11) Vs Yuki Strong Kobayashi (14-7, 8) - Osaka, JapanThe final major bout for us before Christmas comes from Osaka and sees the hard hitting Keita Kurihara take on Yuki Strong Kobayashi for the vacant OPBF Bantamweight title. The match up is a solid looking lower tier match up, though what needs to be noted is that both men are better than their records suggest, with both suffering a number of defeats early in their careers, and to good fighters. We're expecting a hard hitting affair here and it should be very exciting.

December 30th-Masayuki Ito (24-1-1, 12) Vs Evgeny Chuprakov (20-0, 10) - Tokyo, JapanAfter a little bit of a break for Christmas big action returns on December 30th, as we run towards an explosive end to 2018. One of 3 title bouts on the penultimate day of the year will see Masayuki Ito make his first defence of the WBO Super Featherweight title, as he takes on unbeaten mandatory challenger Evgeny Chuprakov. A win here will open up some big fights for Ito in the new year, and he has stated that he intends to return to the US, where he won the title, to make future defenses. For Chuprakov the bout is a big step up in class, but he is certainly a live challenger.

Kenshiro (14-0, 8) Vs Saul Juarez (24-8-2, 13) - Tokyo, JapanThe longest reigning Japanese champion Kenshiro will also be on the December 30th card, defending his WBC Light Flyweight title against Mexican veteran Saul Juarez. Kenshiro has been incredibly impressive recently, beating the likes of Ganigan Lopez, Pedro Guevara and Milan Melindo, and this looks like a step backwards, unfortunately. Juarez is a good fighter, or rather was a good fighter, but his form has been less than great recently and he is 2-4-2 in his last 8 bouts. Juarez, at his best, would be a good opponent for Kenshiro, but he looks to be beyond his best, even if he is only 28.

Takuma Inoue (12-0, 3) Vs Petch Sor Chitpattana (48-0, 33) - Tokyo, JapanThe third major bout on December 30th will see the unbeaten pairing of Takuma Inoue and Petch Sor Chitpattana facing off for the WBC "Interim" Bantamweight title, a title that's an interim belt whilst the WBC wait to sort out the mess of their vacant "regular" title. This is a brilliant match up, between two talented youngsters, though sadly the politics of the WBC have left this bout feeling less glamorous than it should be. The winner will get a shot at the full WBC title in the new year, if and when the WBC actually get around to crowning an actual champion. With a combined 60-0 record these two do make for an interesting fight, but this is a huge step up in class for the Thai, whilst Inoue, the younger brother of Naoya Inoue, has fought a number of world class opponents during his short career.

December 31st-Kazuto Ioka (23-1, 13) Vs Donnie Nietes (41-1-5, 23) - MacauIt's not just December 30th that will be delivering a triple header, but also December 31st, which has one of the very best match ups of the year. The match up in question pits a couple of 3-weight world champions against each other, with Japan's Kazuto Ioka taking on Donnie Neites for the Vacant WBO Super Flyweight title. Both fighters are looking to become only the third man in history to win titles in the lowest 4 weight classes, both are looking to etch their names into the history books and help set up major bouts in 2019. Amazingly this will be the first time Nietes has ever faced a Japanese fighter whilst Ioka hasn't fought a Filipino in over 8 years! We expect to see a lot of skill on show here in what coul be a potential FOTY candidate.

Hekkie Budler (32-3, 10) vs Hiroto Kyoguchi (11-0, 8) - MacauThe second best bout on New Year's Eve will see WBA Light Flyweight champion Hekkie Budler defending his title against former IBF Minimumweight champion Hiroto Kyoguchi. This will be Budler's first defense of the title, which he won earlier this year in Japan by out point Ryoichi Taguchi, and he will be facing a stablemate of the man he beat for the belt. For Kyoguchi it's a great chance to become a 2-weight champion and to score a massive win to end the year. A win here for either man will set them up for massive bouts in 2019, with possible unification bouts in the new year.

Moruti Mthalane (36-2, 24) Vs Masahiro Sakamoto (13-1, 9) - MacauA second South Africa Vs Japan bout will see IBF Flyweight champion Moruti Mthalane defending his title against little known Japanese fighter Masahiro Sakamoto. The South African is enjoying his second reign as the IBF champion, having won the title earlier this year in a nail biter against Pakistani fighter Muhammad Waseem, but at the age of 36 we do wonder what he has left, and he certainly looked like he was aging in the final rounds against Waseem. Sakamoto really is only known in boxing circles for losing to Sho Kimura, in a regional title bout, but has impressed since then and is a smart fighter who will know he has the opportunity of a life time here.

Recently we did a list on 5 world title bouts we want to see in the new year, which can be read here 5 bouts we want to see in 2019 (World title version) for those who missed it. Now we're going to look at some All Japanese bouts we'd like to see in the new year. These bouts are all possible, so for example there is no issue with men being from the same gyms, and would all be really interesting fights, for at least one reason.

Kai Ishizawa (5-0, 5) Vs Daiki Tomita (12-1, 4) - MinimumweightBack in July we were expecting the heavy handed Kai Ishizawa take on a then unbeaten Daiki Tomita. That bout was sadly cancelled when Ishizawa suffered a nose injury in the build up to the contest. Since then Ishizawa has become the Japanese Youth Minimumweight champion, stopping Yuga Inoue for the belt, whilst Tomita has challenged for the OPBF title, losing a decision to the world class Tsubasa Koura.

Getting this bout remade in the new year would be brilliant, and something to really look forward to. Both men have enhanced their reputations since the originally scheduled bout in the summer and we'd certainly love to see the power and desire of Ishizawa up against the skill and speed of Tomita.

Taku Kuwahara (3-0, 2) Vs Kenichi Horikawa (38-15-1, 12) - Light FlyweightWe believe that Taku Kuwahara maybe one of the very best prospects in world boxing today, and think it would be great for him to prove that in 2019. A bout against Japanese veteran Kenichi Horikawa, potentially for the Japanese title late in the year. Kuwahara has proven his value as a prospect, was a stand out amateur and is an exceptional talent. Horikawa is a faded veteran, but a nightmare to fight and this would be a potential passing of the torch.

This isn't a bout that would make sense for early in the year, given that Horikawa has a Japanese title fight assured in the Champion Carnival, but towards the end of 2019 this bout would be a very good one, and could well be for the national title, if Horikawa wins his title shot.

Katsunori Nagamine (15-2-1, 11) Vs Ryota Yamauchi (4-0, 4) - FlyweightIn 2017 we were impressed by the hunger and desire of Ryota Yamauchi. Sadly 2018 hasn't been the break out year we had anticipated from him, however that's not to say 2019 can't be. He does need a really good win next year however, and a real 50/50 bout with him would see him take on the exciting, hard hitting and talented Katsunori Nagamine, in what could be a very interesting match up between talented fighters looking to make a point in the new year.

Although we'd like to see this bout in the first half of the year, putting the winner in the mix for a title fight later in the year, it would be a very interesting title eliminator towards the end of the year, and potentially put the winner into the 2020 Champion Carnival.

Akira Yaegashi (27-6, 15) Vs Hiroyuki Kudaka (26-18-2, 11) - Super FlyweightWhen we started this list there was a bout that really whet our appetite, and looked like a potential FOTY candidate. That was a bout between former 3 weight world champion Akira Yaegashi and 4 time world title challenger Hiroyuki Kudaka. Both men have styles should gel perfectly, both are certainly shop worn, and both are a bit on the older side, still they should match up almost perfectly for an all out action packed bout. The loser really has no where to go, but the winner will potentially be on the fringes of a world ranking.

With Yaegashi turning 36 in February and Kudaka turning 34 in April the hope is that this bout will take place as soon as possible. Kudaka does have a bout in December, potentially delaying this showdown, but there's no reason why we can't have this treat in late Spring or early Summer.

Shohei Omori (20-2, 15) Vs Hiroaki Teshigawara (18-2-2, 11) - Super BantamweightWhen we talk about potential fights of the year it's hard to really know what bout will click. One we think will click perfectly is a show down between former world title challenger Shohei Omori and current OPBF Super Bantamweight champion Hirokia Teshigawara. Omori is the more skilled man, and the bigger puncher, but Teshigawara is a proven tough guy, who will press the fight, throw a lot and really try to take the fight to Omori.

In theory this would make for a really interesting bout, with both men knowing a win would take them towards a world title fight. Neither man has their first bout of 2019 organised, and despite both fighting in the second half of 2018 neither took much punishment in their latest bout. If they can fit this bout in Spring it really would set up their year perfectly.

Masao Nakamura (25-3, 24) Vs Takuya Watanabe (35-8-1, 20)A bonus fight for this list really excited us when we thought about it, and that is a show down between Super Featherweight's Masao Nakamura and Takuya Watanabe. Nakamura is a very heavy handed boxer-puncher, who can be hurt himself, whilst Watanabe is a rugged tough guy with under-rated boxing. Given Nakamura's power and Watanabe's proven durability we'd expect a war here, a bout that would really have fans on the edge of their seat.

Interestingly This bout would see the WBO Asia Pacific champion, Nakamura, taking on the OPBF "silver" champion, Watanabe, and would renove the loser from the mix domestically, potentially setting the winner up for a unification bout with Hironori Mishiro or Masaru Sueyoshi. Of the bouts on this list this may be one of the easier ones to make, and one of the most exciting all-Japanese bouts that could be made right now.

Female boxing is growing in attention in the West, with various outlets now giving it more and more time. It's not given the respect that male boxing is, but it is certainly being given time with fighters like Claressa Shields, Katie Taylor, Nicola Adams and Mikaela Mayer all get attention in the US and UK.

In Japan there also have some brilliant emerging talent, that are starting to rise through the ranks. In fact right now Japan may be about to hit their golden age of female boxing with so many talented fighters coming through the ranks.

Kasumi Saeki (3-0, 2)Arguably the pick of the bunch from this rising generation is the fantastic Kasumi Saeki from the Shinsei Gym. Saeki was a stand out amateur before turning professional earlier this year and has raced away to claim the WBO Asia Pacific female Minimumweight title in just her third professional bout.

Saeki is a product of the brilliant Japanese amateur system, and has a style that looks professional. She's quick, aggressive, accurate, has smart foot work and is very sharp with her punching. We're waiting for her competition to improve, but really can't see any reason why she can't be fighting for world titles in the next year or two, and with Shinsei known for not holding fighters back they may even move her quicker than that.

Eri Matsuda (2-0)Another sensationally talented Japanese fighter is Eri Matsuda, who has a boxer-mover style. She's been matched hard straight away, but has impressed with wins over with wins against Sana Hazuki and Minayo Kei. In those bouts her lack of power is about the only thing that needs questioning, but she showed remarkable improvement, from a narrow in over Suzuki to a dominant win over Kei.

Not only has Matsuda looked talented but she has claimed the OPBF Atomweight title, racked up 14 professional rounds already and shown a combination of great outside fighting skills, fantastic composure and the ability to tie up when she's under pressure. She's clearly got a lot of room for improvement but already looks like a future champion in the making, and Team 10 Count know they have a real prospect on their hands here.

Kanako Taniyama (1-0, 1)Kikcboxer-turn-boxer Kanako Taniyama turned professional earlier this year and despite being 32 years old the expectation is that she will be fast tracked. We know for men 32 year old fighters are fighters in the latter part of their prime, but we've been seeing more and more female boxers having success into their 40's so Taniyama shouldn't be written off due to her age.

On debut Taniyama took on experienced Thai Sumalee Tongpootorn and really looked the part. She was sharp, quick, accurate, moved well and looked very comfortable in the ring. It's clear she has work to do, and there are flaws she has carried over from her transition from kickboxing, but she looked very good on debut and looks like Watanabe could develop her into a very good fighter.

Airi Motoki (1-0, 1)The Featherweight division in female boxing lacks the depth of the divisions below it, and lacks the big names that are making a mark in the West. It's a strange division with only a handful of fighters of any real note there, such as Jelena Mrdjenovich, Heather Hardy and Jennifer Han. This means there is room for someone to quickly climb through the rankings, especially domestically.

One fighter who could make their mark there is Airi Motoki, who is part of the T&T gym. She looked very good on debut, with heavy hands and good technical ability. There is certainly a rawness to her, but her right hand looks like a potentially potent weapon and she seems to have good stamina. It's worth noting that the gym she fights out of has really developed male fighter Ikuro Sadatsune and have shown they can take natural talent and polish it.

Eruka Hiromoto (4-0)At 18 years old Eruka Hiromoto is the youngest fighter on this list, by far, but is also the most experienced as a professional having debuted in October 2017, taking a close win over Kisara Okamoto. Since her debut she has stepped up her competition and moved into a 6 round bout last time out. Despite being a novice she has already beaten 3 unbeaten fighters and shown quite a lot to get excited about.

Hiromoto has a lot of her bouts available on Boxingraise and in that footage she has looked quick, aggressive and sharp. She lacks physical maturity, but at just 18 years old we are expecting to see that change at she matures from a girl into a woman, and hopefully that will see her adding some power to her speed and skills.

Of all the fighters on the list Hiromoto seems like the one who will need the most time, but given her youth she has that time to be matched well, developed and given time to mature.

With 2018 coming to a close we're already excited about the coming year and what the sport may have in store for us in 2019. Here we look at 5 potential bouts involving Asian fighters at world level, we'll be doing a similar article at Oriental/Asia Pacific level in the coming days.

Srisaket Sor Rungvisai (47-4-1, 41) Vs Kal Yafai (25-0, 15)The Super Flyweight division is one of the most packed at the moment, with a good handful of fighters who could all mix in some interesting fights. Among those possible fights is a WBC/WBA unification bout that would pit Asia Vs the UK. The match up in question would see murderous puncher Srisaket Sor Rungvisai take on unbeaten boxer Kal Yafai, in a bout that could go some way towards sorting out the division.

In theory it's not the out and out best bout the division could give us, or even the most obvious, but we would love to see this bout, and suspect it could end what has been a poor reign from the Englishman. It would also leave Juan Francisco Estrada available to have a long awaited rematch with Roman Gonzalez and a potential WBO/IBF unification with the winner of Donnie Nietes Vs Kazuto Ioka taking on Jerwin Ancajas.

Wanheng Menayothin (52-0, 18) Vs Tsubasa Koura (14-0, 9)The Minimumweight division is particularly exciting right now with a lot of young talent emerging to challenge the champions at the top of the division. The longest reigning champion in the sport right now is Thailand's unbeaten Wanheng Menayothin, who has held the WBC Minimumweight title since November 2014 and already ran up 10 defenses. One of the most promising of the emerging contenders is Japan's Tsubasa Koura, who is exciting, skilled, hard hitting and one of the brightest youngsters in Japan.

This bout has been mooted for Spring 2019, and seems almost certainly a done deal to our understanding. It would be a big step up in class for Koura but he's really looked tremendous so far and if he can lure Wanheng to Japan he has a great chance. For Wanheng it'd be another bout against a young upstart, but one that could see him silencing more of his doubters and further extending his impressive unbeaten record.

Tomoki Kameda (36-2, 20) Vs Shingo Wake (25-5-2, 17)Back in November Tomoki Kameda claimed the WBC "interim" Super Bantamweight title, he's expected to face "regular" champion Rey Vargas in 2019, however there is some talk that bout may not be next for either man, with Vargas expected to face WBA champion Daniel Roman. If that happens it could open the door for Kameda to defend the interim title before facing Vargas. There's one man who has been very public about fighting him, and that's Shingo Wake, who has publicly called Kameda out, a number of times.

If this All Japanese Super Bantamweight clash was made it would pit two skilled fighters against each other in a mouth watering bout that could end up deciding the #1 Japanese fighter in the division, though Ryosuke Iwasa and Yukinori Oguni could also involve themselves in that argument. It would however have to wait until late Spring given that Wake will be fighting on January 19th and would need time to prepare for Kameda, who doesn't seem to have been excited about facing Wake in the past.

Vic Saludar (18-3, 10) Vs Masataka Taniguchi (11-2, 7)Filipino fighter Vic Saludar travelled to Japan earlier this year to rip the WBO Minimumweight title from the hands of Ryuya Yamanaka, and sadly retired Yamanaka in the process. A return to Japan to defend the title against Masataka Taniguchi would be a potential FOTY candidate with Saludar and Taniguchi both being heavy handed fighters, with solid boxing skills, a good amateur pedigree and exciting, free flowing attacking styles. It's rare to get two solid punchers up against each other at 105lbs and this bout would give us just that.

This bout had been rumoured for New Year's Eve but didn't come off, it could however end up taking place in 2019, with Taniguchi having won the WBO Asia Pacific title since the bout was first rumoured. This could be put on a bumper card in the Golden Week and would make for a great supporting world title bout.

Angel Acosta (19-1, 19) Vs Jonathan Taconing (28-3-1, 22)It's hard to say what the best bout possible to make at Light Flyweight really is, with a number of match ups that could end up being FOTY contenders featuring many of the top fighters in the division. Not only are there a lot of fantastic fighters at 108lbs but there are a lot that stylistically match up for great fights. One such fight would see WBO world champion Angel Acosta taking on Filipino slugger Jonathan Taconing, who would be getting his third world title fight. This wouldn't be a mega skilled bout, but would be ultra exciting, with both being heavy handed, tough, and having solid stamina.

On paper this is a real possibility, given that Taconing is ranked #2 by the WBO, though Acosta is pencilled in to make a mandatory defense against Ryuji Hara in Spring. If the bout takes place in Summer 2019 then we'd be ecstatic and looking forward to some real unbridled violence. This really would be something special, though either man could be replace with Felix Alvarado, Carlos Canizales, Hiroto Kyoguchi or Christian Araneta and we'd still get a very special bout!

After a truly hectic start to the month things slow down a little bit, but we still have a pretty busy middle section to the month, no only with title fights but also really looking support bouts, with several supporting bouts looking like better contests than the bouts for belts.

​If you missed part 1 that's available here - What's to come in December...Part 1December 9th-Ryota Yada (17-4, 14) Vs Shusaku Fujinaka (16-9-2, 10) - Osaka JapanHard hitting Japanese Welterweight champion Ryota Yada looks to see off a break through year as he defends his title, for the second time, and takes on veteran Shusaku Fujinaka. Yada won the belt by stopping Toshio Arikawa and has come in to his own this year, after struggling past Moon Hyon Yun last year. For Fujinaka, who is rarely in a dull fight, this could be the last big chance he gets, following set backs to the likes of Keita Obara and Randall Bailey. We're expecting a very fan friendly bout here.

Takayuki Okumoto (21-8-3, 10) Vs Masayoshi Hashizume (16-0-1, 10) - Osaka JapanA second Japanese title fight will see Takayuki Okumoto make his first defense of the Japanese Super Flyweight title, taking on unbeaten Ioka gym prospect Masayoshi Hashizume. For the challenger this is a massive step up in class, but he's already won the Rookie of the Year and has share gym time with the likes of Sho Ishida, Masayoshi Nakatani and Kazuto Ioka. For Okumoto this is a great chance to build on his title win, which came against Hiroyuki Kudaka back in August.

Ryosuke Nasu (9-3-3, 2) Vs Yuto Nakamura (8-5, 7) - Osaka JapanThe Japanese Youth title scene is heating up with more and more Youth title fights. A pretty interesting looking Japanese Youth Super Flyweight title fight will see the skilled Ryosuke Nasu battle against the limited but heavy handed Yuto Nakamura, in what should be a much more entertaining and competitive bout than the records suggest. It's clear, to use, that Nasu is the favourite, but this bout is certainly no gimme, for either man. A very good match up between two men each looking to claim a title and push their careers forward.

Masayoshi Nakatani (17-0, 11) Vs Hurricane Futa (25-7-1, 15) - Osaka JapanAs well as the Japanese and Japanese Youth title fights we also get an OPBF title fight, as long term OPBF Lightweight champion Masayoshi Nakatani defends his belt against hard hitting challenger Hurricane Futa, who is a real potential banana skin. In recent fights Nakatani has looked like he's gone a bit stale and off the boil, waiting for the Ioka gym to secure him a big fight, and if he again under-performs there's a chance Futa could score a career defining upset win. Futa, although better than his record suggests, should be regarded as the under-dog, but as a live one, and there is a chance he catches a less than fully focused Nakatani here.

Shohei Omori (19-2, 14) Vs Takahiro Yamamoto (21-5, 17) - Osaka JapanFormer world title challenger Shohei Omori looks to continue his climb towards a second world title fight as he takes on former OPBF Bantamweight champion Takahiro Yamamoto, in what looks like a very explosive match up. Both men are flawed but those flaws should make for an interesting contest. Omori is the more rounded fighter, and the more natural boxer, but can leave himself a bit open whilst Yamamoto the more heavy handed fighter, and the more deliberate puncher. We think Omori should come out on top, but wouldn't be surprised to see him need to get through some rough patches.

Sho Ishida (26-1, 15) Vs Warlito Parrenas (26-8-1, 23) - Osaka JapanFormer world title challengers face off in what is a must win bout for both men. Sho Ishida, who lost to Kal Yafai, is still in the mix for a second world title fight and has impressed since his sole defeat, as he looks to have become a better fighter mentally, building on his physical assets and good boxing skills. Parrenas, who lost in a world title fight to Naoya Inoue, is almost certainly in the final stages of his career, and was last seen losing to Ryuichi Funai. Parrenas has the edge in power here, being a brutish puncher, but almost all the other advantages are to the younger, taller, longer Ishida. Big question is whether Parrenas can land a bomb on the Japanese fighter.

December 13th-Shuichiro Yoshino (8-0, 6) Vs Kazumasa Kobayashi (10-7-1, 6) - Tokyo, Japan Unbeaten Japanese Lightweight champion Shuichiro Yoshino seeks his third defense as he goes up against limited 35 year old challenger Kazumasa Kobayashi, in the main event of a Korakuen Hall show. On paper this is little more than a show case for the talented champion, who we expect to be moving up a level next year and be competing for regional titles if not working his way up the world rankings. Kobayashi very much feels like a veteran getting a title shot before retiring, and he has nothing to lose here, but few will be giving him any sort of a chance.

Ryo Sagawa (5-1, 3) Vs Shingo Kawamura (16-4-1, 8) - Tokyo JapanWe have a bit of a hidden gem here as former amateur standout Ryo Sagawa takes on recent OPBF Featherweight title challenger Shingo Kawamura in what looks likely to be an under-the-radar treat for fans. Sagawa really put himself on the map earlier this year, winning a shoot out against former world title challenger Ryo Matsumoto, and it seems clear he's looking to mix in title fights in the near future. Kawamura on the other hand lost last time out, but gave OPBF champion Satoshi Shimizu real problems, before Shimizu's power broke him down. Both men will be looking to go into 2019 with a big win and we expect that will show in their performances here.

December 20th-Nobuyuki Shindo (20-4-1, 8) Vs Akinori Watanabe (37-7, 31) - Tokyo, JapanIt's rare for the JBC to create an "interim" title but when they do they do tend to force a unification as quickly as they can. One of the few interim titles they've created recently is the interim Light Middleweight title, which was won by Akinori Watanabe in August, and he'll be unifying with regular champion Nobuyuki Shindo in what could be a really interesting fight. The power and experience edges are with Watanabe but Shindo is the younger man and the significantly bigger man, having around 4" in height. It's worth noting that the winner of this bout will have to make a mandatory defense in the first half of 2019.

Hayato Kimura (27-10, 18) Vs Seizo Kono (19-10-1, 12) - Tokyo, JapanOn the subject of Japanese interim titles we'll actually see a Japanese Interim Bantamweight title fight as Hayato Kimura and Seizo Kono clash. Originally the plan wasn't for this to be a title bout but due to illness Yuta Saito is currently on the shelf. Neither Kimura or Kono have had great runs of form coming into this, and for both men it's a bit of a must win bout, with neither really having any where to go if they lose. Kimura is certainly the quicker man, but has fought much of his career at Super Flyweight, losing in several domestic Super Flyweight title bouts. Kono on the other hand is a fully fledged Bantamweight, but is 18 months removed from his last win

As, has become custom in recent years, the calendar for December is genuinely stacked, from wall to wall, making it probably the busiest month for us arguably ever! As a result we'll be breaking our "What's to come" into 3 different parts. The first part, this one, will look at the hectic start to the month, covering everything from a world title fight to a former world champion returning after more than a year away to great looking prospect Vs prospect match!

December 1st-Mark Anthony Barriga (9-0, 1) Vs Carlos Licona (13-0, 2)- USAA crazy December 1st starts Japan, but the highlight of the day is in the US due to a stacked American card. Among the bouts on that card is an IBF Minimumweight title bout, as the Filipino sensation Mark Anthony Barriga takes on Carlos Licona, for the title that was vacated by Hiroto Kyoguchi. We've not seen anything much of Licona but Barriga has always impressed and we're expecting this to be an excellent technical contest.

Valentine Hosokawa (23-6-3, 10) Vs Takashi Inagaki (20-17-2, 9) -Tokyo, JapanJapanese Light Welterweight champion Valentine Hosokawa returns for his second defense as he takes on fellow veteran Takashi Inagaki. This bout looks like it's going to be one sided, at least on paper, but Inagaki will know that this will be his final shot, and will almost certain risk it all for a chance to become a champion, after previously coming up short twice.

Yukinori Oguni (19-2-1, 7) Vs Arega Yunian (6-11, 1) - Tokyo, JapanFormer IBF Super Bantamweight champion Yukinori Oguni returns to the ring after more than a year out, as he fights in a tune up bout against limited Indonesian visitor Arega Yunian. This really will be a mismatch, but it's great to see the popular Oguni back in the ring and he's seemingly got serious plans for 2019.

Kayoko Ebata (12-7, 6) Vs Etsuko Tada (17-3-2, 5) - Osaka, JapanThe Barriga Vs Licona bout isn't the only world title fight this coming Saturday, as WBO female Minimumweight champion Kayoko Ebata defends her title against former WBA and IBF champion Etsuko Tada. Ebata is looking to make her second defense of the belt, and if we're being honest a loss will almost certainly end her career. The talented Tada isn't the fighter she once was, but is the younger fighter and will likely be the crowd favourite here.

Eri Matsuda (1-0) Vs Minayo Kei (6-3, 1) - Osaka, JapanTalented novice Eri Matsuda looks to claim her first title in just her second professional bout, as she takes on Minayo Kei in an OPBF Atomweight title fight. This could be a good test for Matsuda, who is tipped to have a very successful career, and if she wins she could well end up moving into world title bouts by the summer of 2019. For Kei this is a chance to over-come a touted opponent.

Wakako Fujiwara (6-2-2, 2) Vs Kimika Miyoshi (13-11-1, 5) II - Osaka, JapanThe relatively unknown Wakako Fujiwara shocked Kimika Miyoshi earlier this year, to claim the OPBF female Featherweight title. Now she'll be looking to repeat the feat in a rematch against the former champion, and former world title challenger. It's hard to see where the loser goes from here, whilst the winner may well end up moving in the direction of a world title fight in the new year.

Kasumi Saeki (2-0, 1) Vs Wassana Kamdee (3-4, 2) - Osaka, JapanMatsuda isn't the only novice looking to claim their first title very early in their career as Kasumi Saeki looks to claim the WBO Asia Pacific Female Minimumweight in just her third bout. The talented Saeki will be up against Thai visitor Wassana Kamdee. We suspect Saeki will win, but we're more intrigued by her performance, rather than just the result.

Reiya Konishi (16-1, 6) Vs Richard Rosales (13-7-2, 7) - Osaka, JapanFormer world title challenger Reiya Konishi looks to make his first defense of the WBO Asia Pacific Light Flyweight, and move a step closer to a second world title fight as he takes on Filipino Richard Rosales. The talented Konishi failed to shine in his title win, but is expected to look really good against Rosales. To his credit Rosales has mixed with good opponents, but isn't expected to be a serious test here.

Masao Nakamura (24-3, 23) Vs Carlo Magali (23-10-3, 12) - Osaka, JapanAnother Japan Vs Philippines bout will see former OPBF Super Featherweight champions Masao Nakamura and Carlo Magali face off for the vacant WBO Asia Pacific Super Featherweight title. The heavy handed Nakamura was once tipped for big things, but has shown a frailty through his career, whilst Magali has a very misleading record and he can be a nightmare at this level. We're expecting a pretty exciting tear up when these two get in the ring together, and the winner will take a huge step towards a potential WBO world title fight.

December 2nd-Arata Matsuoka (6-6, 4) Vs Hikaru Ota (9-8, 5) - Hyogo, JapanIn a bout for the Japanese Youth Flyweight title we'll see Arata Matsuoka and Hikaru Ota face off. This bout doesn't scream amazing on paper, but these youth title bouts are typically very good to watch and this one looks amazingly competitive, with both being very limited fighters. In a way it's a shame that these two are fighting for a title vacated by the brilliant Junto Nakatani, but we should at leats get a 50-50 bout, something we wouldn't have got had Nakatani defended the belt against one of these two.

Hikaru Matsuoka (14-4-3, 2) Vs Noboru Osato (10-6-4, 2)- Hyogo, JapanA second Japanese Youth title fight will see Hikaru Matsuoka take on Noboru Osato for the Super Bantamweight belt. Hikaru Matsuoka, is the twin brother of Arata Matsuoka, from the Flyweight bout, and we could potentially see twins ending the day as Japanese Youth champions. Osato is however a very capable fighter and footage of both men suggest that this will be a match up between two technically capable fighters each looking to box at range in what could an interest chess match.

December 3rd-Satoshi Shimizu (7-0, 7) Vs Takuya Uehara (16-0, 10) - Tokyo, JapanReigning OPBF Featherweight champion Satoshi Shimizu will be looking top make his 4th defense, and take a huge step towards a world title fight as he takes on unbeaten challenge Takuya Uehara. The champion, a 2012 Olympic bronze medal winner, is a technically flawed fighter, but one who has serious power and throws from awkward angles. Uehara is a more technically fighter, rather than the free swinging and unorthodox style of Shimizu, but it is the challenger who is taking a massive step up in class.

Hinata Maruta (7-1-1, 6) Vs Tsuyoshi Tameda (18-3-2, 16) - Tokyo, JapanA brilliant prospect vs prospect bout for this part of the month will see the very highly regarded Hinata Maruta taking on the heavy handed Tsuyoshi Tameda in a really outstanding bit of match making. Maruta is the more naturally gifted, and when he made his debut he genuinely impressed, beating Jason Canoy, but has yet to really show what he can really do. Tameda is a real brutish puncher, with several wins of note, but he has come up short against the better boxers he's been up against. This could seriously be the bout of the month and is fantastically matched!

The second half of November is fast approaching and it's set to be a busy one for fans who follow Asian boxers. We have a nice mix of Youth, world, regional and female title fights coming up over the next 2 weeks or so

November 16th-Tetsuya Hisada (32-9-2, 19) Vs Akihiro Toya (8-4, 1) - JapanWe kick off the second part of the months with a Japanese Light Flyweight title bout, as defending champion Tetsusya Hisada seeks his 5th defense, and takes on the unheralded Akihiro Toya. On paper this should be a mismatch, in favour of Hisada who is approaching a world title fight, but he can ill afford any sort of set back right now. The champion is now 34 and will know that even a serious cut here could end his dreams of a world title fight. For Toya this will be an unexpected chance, given he has lost 2 of his last 3, but he could pull out the upset if Hisada over-looks him.

November 17th-Chaoz Minowa (6-1, 5) Vs Ibeth Zamora Silva (29-6, 12) - MexicoOn November 17th we'll see Japanese fighter Chaoz Minowa challenge Mexico Ibeth Zamora Silve, for Zamora's WBC Female Flyweight title. This will be Minowa's second shot t a world title, and another loss really will harm her hopes of ever winning a world title, despite her strong amateur credentials. Silva won the title earlier this year, and this will be her first defence, though she is a world class fighter and had a prolonged reign at Light Flyweight. A win for Silva will establish her reign, though she'll likely be looking for bigger and more notable fights, if she can over-come the aggressive but flawed Minowa.

November 18th-West Japan Rookie of the Year Finals​- Japan The All Japan Rookie of the Year finals gets the second set of fighters as the West Japan representatives are decided on. The show's winners will be back in action just before Christmas as they take on their East Japan representatives in the crucial All Japan final. The regional final has a number of really good bouts on it, and if they manage to claim bot only the West crown but the All Japan one they will be expected to be moved into title fights in the relatively near future. This is a key show on the Japanese calendar, and is a very significant show for fans on the domestic scene.

November 19th- Ryuto Oho (11-4-1, 3) Vs Yuta Nakayama (6-1-1, 3) - JapanJust a day after the West Japan Rookie final we see youngsters colliding in a Japanese Youth Light Flyweight title bout. The bout will see 2013 All Japan Flyweight Rookie of the year Ryuto Oho making his first defense of the Japanese Youth title as he takes on the once beaten Nakayama, who is riding a 5 fight winning streak into this bout. Oho won the title back in April, stopping Tetsuya Tomioka, and looks to be a better fit at 108lbs than he was at 112lbs. Nakayama on the other hand looks to be stepping up a level, and may well face his stiffest test to date in what looks like an excellent match up.

November 20th- Ayaka Miyao (22-7-1, 6) Vs Nao Ikeyama (18-4-3, 5) III - JapanIt's not often that we support WBA "Interim" title bouts but with WBA “regular” Atomweight champion Monseratt Alcaron suffering an injury we can't help but support an “interim” title here as Ayaka Miyao and Nao Ikeyama face off in an excellent rematch. The first bout between these two came in 2016, when Ikeyama beat the much younger Miyao due to a nasty knee injury that kept Miyao out of the ring for over a year. That win for Ikeyama was her last victory, and she would lose the WBO Atamweight title this past July. Aged 49 a win for Ikeyama would be a massive statement whilst a win for Miyao would see her getting revenge for the loss a few years ago. A brilliant match up, and a rare example of the WBA using their “interim” titles properly!

November 22nd- Kudura Kaneko (8-0, 5) Vs Toshio Arikawa (15-5, 13) - JapanNot every great match up needs a title, and we can't help but get very excited about the Japanese Welterweight bout between rising youngster Kudura Kaneko, a Japanese-Afghan prospect, and former champion Toshio Arikawa, fighting for the first time since losing the title. Both of these men have real belief in their power and this could end up being a shoot out, as well as a potential passing of the torch on the Japanese domestic scene. The bout won't get much attention globally, but that doesn't take away from the interest the bout has from us, and Japanese domestic fans.

November 24th- Dmitry Bivol (14-0, 11) vs Jean Pascal (33-5-1-1, 20) - USAOutside of Asia the biggest fight with an Asian as we get towards the end of the month will see Kyrgyzstan born Russian Dmitry Bivol defending his WBA Light Heavyweight title against Canadian based Haitian Jean Pascal. The talented Bivol, now widely regarded as one of the top Light Heavyweights on the planet, had looked at other opponents but due to various issues ended up with the 36 year old Pascal. The Canadian regularly makes for exciting bouts, due to his style, and he is still popular but he is 4-3 in his last 7 and has twice been stopped by Sergey Kovalev in the last 4 years. This should be fun, but comfortable for the champion.

November 25th-Richard Pumicpic (21-8-2, 6) vs Musashi Mori (7-0, 5) - JapanFilipino fighter Richard Pumipcic makes it 3 in a row in Japan as he returns to defend his WBO Asia Pacific Featherweight title against teenager Musashi Mori. Pumicpic won the title when he defeated Hisashi Amagasa in Tokyolast year. His only defense of the belt saw far saw him defeat Yoshimitsu Kimura, in a clear but competitive bout, and now he returns to take on one of the country's best teenager. Mori has impressed, winning the All Japan Rookie of the Year, but this is a monstrous step up in class and if he wins he could find himself on the verges of the world rankings. It's a big risk with a huge reward for the challenger, but he is clearly the under-dog.

November 28th- Knockout CP Freshmart (18-0, 7) Vs Byron Rojas (25-3-3, 11) II - ThailandThe final bout of note for the month comes from Thailand, as WBA Minimumweight champion Knockout CP Freshmart defends the WBA title against former champion Byron Rojas, the man he actually beat for the belt back in back in June 2016. Since beating Rojas we've seen Knockout make 5 defenses, including wins over Shin Ono, Rey Loreto and Xiong Zhao Zhong, but he's failed to really impress on a consistent basis. He's a solid champion, but one who doesn't seem to look spectacular. Rojas is 8-0 since the loss to Knockout, but has only been fighting at the Nicaraguan domestic level and it's a little bit unclear on how good he's been since losing the belt. In saying that however he's incredibly hungry for this bout and does seem determined to take the title back to Nicaragua. This could be a great way to end what looks to be a fantastic month of action.

The month of November is a really packed one with amazing bouts every few days. In fact it's possible the most packed month of the year so far in regards to the Asia scene with big bouts in Japan, Thailand and the Philippines as well as bouts outside of Asia.

November 3rd-Kazuto Takesako (9-0, 9) v Sanosuke Sasaki (12-6, 6) - JapanWe turn our focus to the Korakuen Hall to begin the month of November, with a Japanese Middleweight title bout between hard hitting champion Kazuto Takesako and former champion Sanosuke Sasaki. The bout will be Takesako's first defense of the title that he won earlier this year, when he stopped Hikaru Nishida inside a round, whilst Sasaki will be looking to reclaim the title that he lost in his first defense, back in 2013 against Tomohiro Ebisu. It's hard to doubt the champion, but we are hoping he can use this bout to springboard towards bigger and better fights in 2019.

Ryan Burnett (19-0, 9) v Nonito Donaire (38-5, 24) - ScotlandA few hours after the Japanese title fight we get the final bout from the Quarter Round of the WBSS Bantamweight competition and will see Filipino icon Nonito Donaire challenge WBA Bantamweight “Super” champion Ryan Burnett. The winner of this bout will move on to the semi-final of the WBSS, where they will face Zolani Tete in a WBA/WBO world title unification bout. Donaire, at the age of 35, needs a win if he's to remain relevant whilst a win for Burnett would be huge for his career. We don't expect this to be an action packed war, but it is a very interesting match up.

Janibek Alimkhanuly (3-0, 1) Vs Vaughn Alexander (12-1, 8) - USAYet more notable action on the first Saturday of the month will see Kazakh prospect Janibek Alimkhanuly take on American foe Vaughn Alexander. This should be a good test for Alimkhanuly, but he really needs to shine after failing to impress on his US debut in September, when he took a decision win over Carlos Galvan. The 32 year old Alexander is a tough fighter who will be looking to upset the apple cart, and bounce back following a loss to Denis Doughlin last time out. This could be a very fun fight.

November 4th-East Japan Rookie of the Year Finals - JapanFor a second day running attention turns to the Korakuen Hall where we will get the 2018 East Japan Rookie of the Year Finals. The winners from this show will fight in the All Japan Finals just before Christmas. Although the East Japan Rookie Finals aren't a huge story to international fans it is a launch pad, and the winners of the All Japan Finals do tend to make a mark in the years that follow, so we do suggest that fans keep a serious eye out for the results from this card.

November 7th-Hikaru Nishida (17-9-1, 8) Vs Shuji Kato (9-1-1, 6) - JapanThe Japanese action resumes on November 7th when we see former Japanese Middleweight champion Hikaru Nishida takes on 2017 Middleweight Rookie of the Year Shuji Kato, with the winner becoming the mandatory for the Japanese title in 2019. Meaning the winner of this bout will face the winner of the Takesako Vs Sasaki bout from just a few days earlier. This will be Nishida's first bout since losing the title to Takesako whilst Kato will be coming into the bout on the back of 7 straight wins, including his Rookie of the Year victory.

November 10th-Shawn Oda (9-0, 8) Vs Seiryu Toshikawa (10-4, 6) - JapanMore Japanese action on November 10th with an interesting triple header. One of those bouts will see young Lightweights collide as Shawn Oda takes on Seiryu Toshikawa for the vacant Japanese Youth Lightweight title. We've been impressed by the explosive Oda, who is a Rookie of the Year winner, and have tipped him to go on to great things in the years to come. This is however a notable test for him. Coming into this bout Toshikawa has won his last 4 bouts, with the last of those wins being a big domestic win over Ryuji Ikeda.

Yuga Inoue (7-0-1, 1) Vs Kai Ishizawa (4-0, 4) - JapanA second Japanese Youth title fight on this card will see unbeaten youngsters collide as Yuga Inoue faces off with Kai Ishizawa. Yuga is another of the fighters to claim a Rookie of the Year crown, winning the Minimumweight tournament last year, and has since scored his first stoppage, taking out Daisuke Suda in May of this year. The 21 year old Ishizawa has gone a very different route, having began his career in 6 rounders, and he really impressed last time out, when he stopped Tatsuro Nakashima. This is a key bout for both men, and the winner will certainly give their career a huge boost.

Ryuichi Funai (30-7, 21) Vs Victor Emanuel Olivo (15-2-1, 7) - JapanThe third part of this triple header is an IBF Super Flyweight world title eliminator, as Japan's Ryuichi Funai takes on Victory Olivo, with the winner moving onto a potential world title fight with Jerwin Ancajas in 2019. For Funai this bout is the next step in his long career, and a set back will likely be the end of his world title dreams. Olivo on the other-hand is pretty unknown, though he did give Milan Melindo real issues when he faced the Filipino earlier in his career and has got the potential to upset the Watanabe man in Tokyo.

Melvin Jerusalem (13-2, 8) Vs Toto Landero (10-3-2, 2) - PhilippinesStaying in Asia Filipino fans also get something really exciting to watch on November 10th as former world title challengers clash in a massive domestic clash. The bout will see former WBC Minimumweight challenger Melvin Jerusalem take on recent WBA title challenger Toto Landero. Both men have come up short to world class fighters, as well as domestic foe Joey Canoy strangely, and should make for a very compelling contest as both fighters look to gain another shot at a world title. It's hard to pick a winner, and bouts like that are always worthy of interest, especially at fringe world level.

Daud Yordan (38-3-0-1, 26) Vs Anthony Crolla (33-6-3, 13) - EnglandThe busy November 10th date also plays host to an interesting looking match up between Indonesian fighter Daud Yordan and popular Englishman Anthony Crolla, who fight in a notable Lightweight bout. The winner of this will immediately find themselves in the mix for a WBA Lightweight title bout. Yordan will be entering this bout on the back of a huge, and thrilling, win over Pavel Malikov in Russia but will need a career best performance to over-come Crolla. The Englishman on the other hand has gone 2-2 in his last 4 bouts, but has suffered both of those losses to Jorge Linares and shouldn't have his recent form held against him. This really could be a fun, high tempo bout between two flawed but busy fighters.

November 12th-Tomoki Kameda (35-2, 20) Vs Abigail Medina (19-3-2, 10) - TokyoOn October 12th we get a really notable bout as former WBO Bantamweight champion Tomoki Kameda faces off with Abigail Medina for the WBC "Interim" Super Bantamweight. The winner of this bout will be lined up with regular champion Rey Vargas, who was injured when this bout was ordered by the WBC. Kameda is well known in boxing circles, and is the younger brother of former world champions Koki and Daiki Kameda, but we've yet to see him really tested at Super Bantamweight. The 30 year old Medina is unbeaten in over years and has claimed the European title en route to his shot at this “interim” title. This could be a very interesting bout for two men each looking to prove that they are a top Super Bantamweight.